Will the Sumatran Forest Still Roar Tomorrow?

Signs of recovery are emerging. In Kerinci Seblat National Park, intensified ranger patrols and efforts to disrupt poaching networks have coincided with an increase in tiger numbers across several forest blocks, WCS Indonesia notes, with Mongabay reporting similar findings in 2022. The evidence suggests that when forests are effectively protected and hunting pressure is reduced, tiger populations can recover.

A Sumatran tiger passes a cage trap in Lampung, where conservation teams fight for its survival. (Image courtesy of TNBBS)

What happens next will hinge on how far these gains can be extended. Young researchers and students from IPB University are already shaping new studies and leading awareness drives. Everyday choices matter too: buying products certified as sustainable helps ensure they are not linked to forest clearance, WWF Indonesia emphasizes. And on a global scale, the Rainforest Action Network has been pressing multinational companies to commit to zero-deforestation supply chains.

The Sumatran tiger's story is not yet finished. Signs of recovery are beginning to emerge in guarded strongholds, proving that protection works. When governments, NGOs, and local people act together with international backing, the tools exist to turn decline into survival. The margin for action is slim, yet still within reach, according to a joint statement issued by Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) and its conservation partners.

"Saving tigers also means saving their large habitat. It's important because forests also serve as water catchment areas for humans," 

- Sunarto, a tiger specialist at WWF Indonesia.